Rwanda, Cyangugu
For June’s coffee of the month, we are moving to Uganda’s next door neighbour Rwanda! Despite being super close to Uganda, our Rwanda bean has slightly different flavours! Instead of floral flavours that are typically found in our other beans, Rwanda’s is fuller, and rich when enjoyed as a filter coffee. When made for an espresso, the bean is mellow, earthy, chocolatey and quite sweet when milk is added. It is a personal favourite of our head barista, James, as he usually enjoys a Rwanda espresso shot in the morning!
Fruity and chocolate flavours are typical when it comes to beans from Rwanda, especially when it comes to the aftertaste. Whilst the aroma of the coffee may suggest more citrusy, orange notes, the overall coffee is creamy with tones of caramel cane sugar. Coffee from the area is usually washed, and 95% of the coffee is of the “bourbon” varietal, which is a type of coffee plant.
The coffee is typically grown in high altitude areas between 1600m-2200m, with our own Rwanda bean being grown on the lower side of 1600m. The production process is lengthy as each bourbon coffee plant takes 3-5 years to mature, and unpredictable weather patterns can prolong the challenges of the process even further.
Our Rwanda beans are washed in Liza Washing Station which is found in the far West of the country! Their farm contains around 6000 coffee bushes and their typical harvest period is between February and June. To guarantee the best quality coffee, they use the process of floatation, which allows the beans to float in water to test for defects. The defect beans usually float to the top, whilst the finest beans sink. After floatation, the beans are fermented and dried in tanks for 12 hours, before being moved to the shade to be dried further.
We are so excited to share this bean with you this month due to its complexity in aroma, and taste! Want to try it? Find our Rwanda, Cyangugu bean in store, or here on our online store now!